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Rigging Tips

Texas Rigging Tips

Remember, the Texas rig is a "triggering " tool, so look for tight cover areas where largemouth bass may be hiding or lying in ambush position. Typical areas might be pockets in lily pads, next to stumps or brush piles, or near or near the bottom along prominent weedbeds. Cast the rig out or flip it into tight cover areas and let it flutter to the bottom. Keep an eye on your line, because bass often strike on the drop. If you see a twitch, reel up the slack and set the hook! If not, let the rig rest on the bottom for a few seconds and begin a slow, up and down, swimming retrieve. Moving the rod tip from a 7 o'clock position to a 12 o'clock position and back again will give you good underwater action. Let the rig rest for a few seconds and repeat the motion all the way back.

Always experiment with your retrieve to discover the most successful pattern for the day. Try "hopping" your retrieve with short, subtle movements, inching the rig along the bottom. This causes the worm to appear as injured prey and will possibly trigger fish. Try changing colors and location. The point is, the Texas rig is a super set-up for coaxing fish from cover, so even if fishing is slow, patience and persistence will pay off

Carolina Rigging Tips

Remember the Carolina rig is a "searching" tool, so look for cover areas where largemouth bass may be lying or cruising, Typical areas may be expansive weedbeds, grassy flats, underwater rock piles, etc. Cast the rig out and let it settle to the bottom. Keep an eye on your line, because bass often strike on the drop. If you see a twitch, reel up the slack and set the hook! If not let the rig rest for a few seconds and begin a slow, dragging retrieve. Moving the rod tip from a 9 o'clock position to an 11 o'clock position and back again will give you good underwater action. Let the rig rest for a few seconds and repeat the motion all the way back.

Try "ripping" your retrieve with an aggressive, erratic motion. This causes the worm to lunge wildly forward and the sinker to crash through the cover and into the bottom, kicking up a real ruckus and possibly triggering the fish. Try changing the colors, depth, location. The point is, the Carolina rig is a super set-up for locating active fish, so make the most of its assets and cover lots of water.

Quick tips on color, size, and line selection

Sometimes bait color makes all the difference between a day of action and a day of frustration. Accomplished anglers always experiment with different colors until they key on to a presentation that flips a fish's trigger. To get started down the right road in color selection, first look at the water you're fishing and determine if it's clear, stained or dark. Then follow this guide as a starting point and experiment from there. Good Luck!

Clear

  • Use subtle colors like white, yellow, brown and black.
  • Often smaller baits work best
  • Go "stealth-mode" with lighter line (6 - 10lb. test)

Stained

  • Start with subtle colors and work toward vibrant colors.
  • Trial and error id the key to fishing stained water.
  • Medium weight lines are ideal. (10 - 12lb. test)

Dark

  • Vibrant, flashy colors get the best results.
  • Go with big baits since they're easier to see in murky water.
  • Now's the time to go with heavy line (12 - 20lb. test) since fish aren't as "line shy".